Juuse Saros in Peak Vezina Form at Perfect Time
Saros is once again showing why he is one of the best goalies in the NHL.
Juuse Saros in Peak Vezina Form at Perfect TimePrior to the eight-game win streak for the Nashville Predators, the team sat four points out of a playoff spot and only two games above .500. This is when trade talks were highest involving starter Juuse Saros, but a goaltender of this caliber is very hard to come by and very tough to let go.
General manager Barry Trotz knew this and the win streak not only changed the course of this season, it changed the plans for the Predators. Saros wouldn't be traded as long as the team held a playoff spot. So with a few days to go until the deadline and separation between the Predators and the teams chasing them, it is all but confirmed that Saros is going nowhere this season and the team will have the chance to negotiate a contract extension in the offseason.
Along with the Predators, Saros elevated his game to an elite level to help the team go on the run they are on. Over the course of the eight-game win streak, he has six wins and has allowed just eight goals, not allowing more than two in any of the games.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ju8aqVboik[/embed]
Saros' save percentage on the current win streak is .954, which is great, but it isn't the first time he has put up numbers like this during the 2023-24 season. It hasn't been as seamless of a season as expected and a few games have blown his overall numbers out of proportion, but Saros actually had a six-game win streak at the start of December and posted a .954 SV% as well. This was to end a 10-1-0 stretch where he had a .933 SV%, which is still elite numbers.
Saros was a huge part in saving the season for the Predators and giving the team hope for not only the lead-up to the trade deadline, but for the chance to compete in the postseason after missing last season. Over the past three seasons, Saros has a sixth-place finish, a third-place finish, and a fourth-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting. He has proven he can play amongst the best year after year and is doing so again as the Predators' season is very much alive.
Recent Predators News
Around the NHL